two weeks ago, we went to ikea on a fact finding mission. i had no intention of purchasing a new couch, that day. the goal was simply to research options. the mission was accomplished! i found exactly what i wanted, and was eager to return to get a new couch!
last week’s planned return trip was kiboshed by a life-sucking attack of the flu.
this week, i was sure hoping the revised return trip to spend some money would come together without a hitch!
uh oh:
the weather conditions at the time of departure from waterloo
great.
just what you want when you’re going to be transporting home a couch in the back of an open pick up truck. i crossed my fingers that the day would clear up. [little did i know that later on, environment canada issued severe storm warning and tornado watches for the evening, in the region!].
then we hit heavy traffic.
it took 17 tries to get a half-acceptable "bored" photo; yet, i can do "gleeful" with no retakes necessary!
we made it!
one final sky-watch before entering...
ikea’s layout confuses me. i have to follow the blue arrows on the floor, or risk getting completely disoriented.
we made it to couches!
i knew i wanted orange!!!
except, guess what? somehow, i confused the colour of cover i coveted (the orange) with the style of couch i wanted (which does not offer orange):
decidedly more muted tones in the "beddinge" line that i had chosen
so, what to do? get the colour i want, in a style i don’t like as much, or get the style i really liked in a colour that i can spice up? yup. that’s what i thought, too.
the selection!
i chose the off-white. maybe not the most practical colour option, but you can wash the couch cover, plus i really liked the softness of the corduroy fabric. i can just see me flaked out watching jersey shore. and i can throw any colour of accent pillow on there, quick as a flash.
ok! cool!
to get out, it was back to following the arrows. of course, many temptations awaited along the way.
colourful + cheap toilet bowl brushes? ok!
just loved walking around the rest of ikea with toilet brushes under my arm...
the only kind of ick part about ikea shopping is finding your stuff in the warehouse-style aisles. first prize, though, for clarity of labelling and ease of finding where you need to go:
i don't actually touch things, here. i supervise.
two weeks ago, i saw this poster:
a perfectly placed promo to catch you at your weakest moment, after all that warehouse scavenging
and ever since, i have been fixated on the idea of having an ikea hotdog. do you think the flu nixed that desire? not in the least. in fact, it made it stronger. [since the flu, i am still completely off of coffee and fresh vegetables; corn on the cob, pepperoni pizza, and cereal? cannot get enough].
i was so excited about my hotdog!!!
sadly, the line-up for the café looked like this:
you know i hate waiting in the first place. and for a $0.79 hot dog? not so inclined...
but, a-ha! on to plan b!…
over to front street we drove, right into the heart of downtown toronto…
across from the cbc building...
…to our family’s favourite hot dog truck:
love a street meat vendor with flair, eh!
two dogs and two drinks, please...
me = no onions!
fric-a-frac, was that ever delicious!
and the day was not yet over!
now, it was on to see adorable e and baby c!
for months, i have been telling the girls i will bring down my kit of hair barrettes. and i keep forgetting. aunti finally remembered!
setting up the hair salon...
are we off to a luau?!
pretty fancy!
the day’s excitement was STILL not over! remember that severe weather watch? well, driving home to waterloo, did not the heavens open and pour out sheets and blasts of rain, all while lightening danced continuously all over the sky, all the way from mississauga to home. and my new furniture was in the back of the truck. we got back, and b had done such a good job of securely tarping everything that it all was bone dry. amazing.
and that, my friends, should conclude the shopping updates for a little while. i know my bank book sure hopes that is the case!
what’s your shopping method? research and compare, or complete the task as quickly as possible? i know that if i’m obsessing over an item for more than 24 hours, i really do want it. my in-the-heat-of-the-moment mistakes of the past have included: designer jeans, clipless pedals for my bike, leather pants…i’ve learned to stop, drop and roll stop, think and budget!
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My method is along the lines of agonize about the fact I might want something…start researching, get overwhelmed, talk to people, get confused..agonize some more, get fed up, buy first thing I’d been thinking of anyway!
Haha, great description, zo! Thanks for the chuckle.
Yes, sometimes the worst thing is to seek a second opinion! Or have too many choices/options!
I’m definitely a research and compare kind of person. But in most aspects of life I cant make an impromptu decision to save my life…
that fits with your scientific interests, abi! so choosing a movie is not exactly a 2 second decision, eh? i tend to analyze things a bit more than necessary sometimes, too!
Well I’m glad the furniture didn’t get wet! Honestly I would have postponed the trip because somehow bad weather just makes me on edge and that is not the time to pick out furniture for me!
I love Ikea — but the first 4-5 times I went I hated it — I didn’t know where stuff was and it took me forever to find anything!
I thought of you last night when I was watching Jersey Shore (yep I finally caught an episode!)
Yea for jersey shore! I’ll catch that episode asap!
I need 2-3 more ikea visits then I will “know” where to find what I want!
Yes, I was not keen on getting the couch since enviro canada was predicting such horrid weather…but since last week’s trip was a write-off for the flu and I won’t be in toronto for the next two weeks, I really wanted to accomplish this mission! Luckily, b is a genius with tarps+ropes!
Wow—lucky that the furniture did not get wet! I can so relate–we’ve been having our own issues with moving and weather…not traffic though!
I have a cream colored couch and I do wash the covers every so often (this weekend maybe).
I’m not a research and compare person….more of see it and buy it type! I hate browsing for furniture, although I have spent time in that Ikea last year (before I met you)…and it was pretty amazing! I bought small things, including a lamp that has never worked, and batteries. I just ordered a small desk from Ikea…I should have driven up to Toronto and picked it up there, then we could’ve met up! I had decided with 6 classes starting, I could just pay the shipping cost and use my time for work.
I’m still working on the stop, think, and budget approach!
i really don’t like furniture research, either. that’s why i just decided ikea was the place, and i WOULD find something there!! yes – i was thinking of you with moving/unpacking/setting up! in a new space, you often think of furniture pieces that you could now use. i don’t blame you for paying shipping with your class schedule! maybe you can have someone else do all the set up, too!! haha!